[Rarebooks] fs: 1851 Steam Vessel Study / Association copy

[Joslin Hall Rare Books]

A presentation copy owned by the engineer who
co-designed the world's first iron-hulled, oceangoing warship-

Rawson, Robert. THE SCREW PROPELLER; an investigation of its Geometrical 
and Physical Properties, and its application to The Propulsion of Vessels.

London; Whittaker and Co.: 1851.

A very early technical work (apparently the first textbook) on the geometry 
of the screw propeller. The screw propeller is a much more complex device, 
geometrically, than it might at first seem, and engineers spent many 
decades in the middle of the 19th century trying to get it right. To put 
the publication date of this study in perspective, Francis Pettit Smith in 
England and John Ericson in America are credited with the first use of the 
marine screw propeller in 1839. Smith got a lucky break when his wooden 
device broke in half, accidentally providing him with a much more powerful 
propeller than he had actually designed. The 'Great Britain', an 
iron-hulled steamship, completed the first transatlantic voyage using a 
screw propeller in July, 1845, and it was not until the 1860s that screw 
propellers came into general use.

Rawson was Headmaster of the School for Shipwright Apprentices at the 
Portsmouth Dockyard and a member of the Manchester Literary and 
Philosophical Society. This copy is inscribed on the title page "To Tho's 
Lloyd Esq. with the Author's compliments". In addition, on the upper corner 
of the front pastedown it is inscribed "Th.Lloyd Nov. 1850". Thomas Lloyd 
was a brilliant engineer who served as Engineer in Chief of the British 
Navy and played a great part in the development of steam propulsion at sea. 
He, along with Isaac Watts, designed the 'HMS Warrior', the world's first 
oceangoing warship to have an iron hull, which was launched in 1861.

This copy is also ex-U.S. Patent Office Library, with a 19th century label 
and blindstamp, and a stamp on the title page states- "received library US 
Patent Office May 3 1885". It is interesting to speculate that Lloyd 
presented this volume to the Patent Office Library in some sort of 
across-the-ocean goodwill gesture. An intriguing and superlative 
association copy of a very early work on screw propellers. OCLC locates 
only 9 copies.

Hardcover. 6.5"x10", viii + 72 pages, 1 lithographed plate; ex-U.S. Patent 
Office, with a "Library of Congress Duplicate" stamp; original brown 
blindstamped cloth with a cloth-taped spine; covers soiled and rubbed, 
tips, etc., worn; large triangular gouge at the top of the spine extends 
1.75" across front cover; internal hinges perished, front (blank) endpaper 
detached but present; plate detached but present; title page with library 
stamp and embossure; text lightly browned but fine. A copy eminently worthy 
of some restoration work. [05486] $1,200.00

Illustrations-
<http://www.joslinhall.com/images03/th-05486.jpg>

JOSLIN HALL RARE BOOKS, ABAA
Fine books of the 16th-20th centuries
on the decorative and fine arts & design

Post Office Box 239
Northampton, Massachusetts 01060 USA
telephone (413) 247-5080

--> Subscribe to our free email News List and get special
      discounts and offers on selected books!
<http://joslinhall.com/mailman/listinfo/jhrbnews_joslinhall.com>

--> Our full-service website features 86 separate subject
      categories, and has full search capabilities.
<http://www.joslinhall.com>

--> Visit our new BARGAIN BIN pages for a selection
      of good, inexpensive books for your bookshelf!
<http://www.joslinhall.com/special-1.htm>

  ~~

TERMS:
All payments must be in U.S. funds and negotiable through a U.S. bank; We 
accept checks, money orders, American Express, Visa and Mastercard. Books 
may be reserved pending payment; Institutions may be billed; Standard 
courtesies to institutions and the trade; Postage charges are $5.00 for the 
first book, and $1.50 for each additional book. Shipments outside the U.S. 
will be billed at cost. We accept returns if we are notified within ten 
days of your receipt of the books-please ask for full instructions and 
terms. Massachusetts residents must add 5% state sales tax.

As members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America we are 
committed to upholding high professional standards and making sure your 
bookbuying experience is enjoyable.